In your opinion, what does it take to become an authentic leader who people want to follow?
I think you need to know your staff as individuals, and listen to their needs and determine their individual strengths. You then assimilate them into an effective team with clearly defined roles built around their strengths. As a leader, you help them achieve excellence by listening and assisting them and clearing the roadblocks, and give them due credit and rewards. Leaders will give guidance and set a good example and build trust. In the end, it is effective, persevering teamwork that achieves greatness.
Scott Smith
Director of Environmental Planning and Compliance
CPS Energy
A clear and well communicated message of where the team is headed, passion for reaching the objective, confidence to be surrounded by people with more skill in certain disciplines than the leader, and humble enough to help obtain results, not just expect results.
Kirk Bailey
While this is not original, I believe very strongly in the three questions relayed by Football Coach, Lou Holtz. In one of his books, Lou states that there are 3 questions everyone asks themselves about you;
- Can I trust him?
- Is he committed to excellence?
- Does he care about me?
I believe these sum up the qualities that must be demonstrated by any authentic leader to accomplish the goal.
J. David Moore
President and CEO
Shelter Insurance Companies
- True passion and genuine interest in others
- Vested interest in their success
- Willingness to share knowledge and promote synergy
A great leader has an open ear, promotes individual growth and conveys clear messages.
Arthur Emerson
Authentic Leaders are more about personal power and less about position power. I have more respect and tend to follow leaders who, because of their personal power, raise the position up as opposed to the position raising the person up. The quote in question is "what happens to the person who is only about the position when the position is taken away, eliminated or lost?"
Authentic leaders as opposed to those whom are not, get their team to connect to the reality of effort, performance, conversation, trust, integrity and ultimately the reality of results. If authentic leadership is not present, you get the reality of "Game Face" which functions somewhere below the reality of effort, performance, conversation, trust and integrity and results.
The most powerful observation of what it takes to become an authentic leaders is, "regardless of the circumstances, bias, stereotype, unfairness, and financial challenges, authentic leaders never ever view themselves as a victim".
Michael Matlock PhD, CCEP
Agency Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer
State Farm Insurance Company
Authentic leadership comes from servantship -- from caring about others and inspiring them to want to have a positive relationship with you. The best example I can give you is what I learned from the late Mary Kay Ash. She said that whenever she greeted another person, she imagined a sign around their neck that said "make me feel important today." This creates the POWER OF ATTRACTION -- attracting others to share in your values, ideas, goals and passions.
Gary Welch
Trust is a key to any effective team. The leader can only build trust by being open and honest. If a leader is vulnerable, they gain a deeper level of commitment than can ever be gained by position power alone. Effective leaders truly know themselves and open that up to those they work with. They genuinely care about people and that caring comes through in consistent and predictable actions. The rewards are well beyond effective performance.
Paul Smith
Byrd, Just finished reading a Lou Holtz autobiography and in the last paragraph of the Epilogue he says, "I don't want to be known for the successes I had as a coach or as a public speaker, because success dies. Significance-helping others to better their lives through word and deed--last forever."
The only thing I hope is that when I die someone says, "That Lou Holtz was significant to a lot of people." It is the best thing that can be said of a person. I hope it will be said of me.
Jack H. Pryor
Trust earned by open and honest communication coupled with consistency of mission and purpose is what it takes to be an authentic leader.
Chris Williston
Daniel Goleman, in his book Primal Leadership, states "Self-aware leaders also understand their values, goals, and dreams. They know where they're headed and why." I agree and have personally observed that leaders I consider exceptional have a compelling life mission driving them forward, of which their 8-10 hours in the office each day represents a relatively small part. Authenticity demands we in leadership roles be mission-oriented, transparent, relational individuals who see quality human interaction as critical to achieving desired outcomes.
Tony C. Budet
President/CEO
University Federal Credit Union
One of my best interviewing questions of future field leaders is why do people follow you? The point of the question is that many good leaders have never thought about the answer. Authentic leaders are people of integrity who have vision, passion and a genuine belief in the people they lead. They are unselfish in their giving to others and to their task or mission. Leadership is not about the leader. It is about getting things done through people.
Thomas H Coffey, CLU, CLF
Vice President
Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company
Independence Financial Network
It requires compassion, honesty, sacrifice and most importantly open-mindedness. People will see right through a fake leader. You simply can't fake leadership. It is an evolution that begins from the first time people trust us enough to place their lives into our hands. People need to know that you care about them, not just their careers but their entire wellbeing.
It takes one on one interaction, open communication and personal vulnerability. They will not follow you if they do not trust you. They will not trust you if you are not open, vulnerable and real. If you are fake, they may act like they are following you but they will never go out of their way to help you succeed.
It takes selflessness. A leader must always put the people they lead first and in the forefront of your personal success. If they are right, you must be willing to fight a circle-saw to defend them. You must be willing to give them "all" of the credit "all" of the time, not just "some" of the credit "some" of the time. We must never take credit for the work someone else does.
I once had a one on one meeting with an exceptional employee. It was her meeting, not mine and I told her that. I wanted to know "how was she doing and was everything okay"? She said "I love my job Cliff but I have to quit". I was taken aback to say the very least. She said "Cliff, I can't afford the health insurance for my 6 year old son that the company needs me to pay. "I need to move in with my Mother so I can find a way to pay for his insurance". I swiftly took action and searched the internet for assistance. I found the Texas "Chips" program that helps single mothers afford insurance for their children. Last I heard she is still a shining star at the company and she has insurance for her son.
What did I learn? Had I not taken the time to ask her how she was doing I would have lost a good employee and friend? I did not inquire about the job or her productivity but really wanted to hear how she doing. Then I had to take the time to ask the question and listen.
She trusted me enough to be honest with me and I will always respect her for that. She was embarrassed to discuss this with me but she knew I would not harm her.
Cliff Luckey